A house with a bad reputation

"Um Abbas" is a beautiful woman, known in the neighborhood for her beauty, and those with taste look up to her as the people of the latrine look to a water spring. She also owns an old four-story building, along with three shops underneath; therefore, the villagers, all poor, considered her a dream woven with gold... Many sought to marry her, but fate pushed her into the arms of a man who was not even in the realm of imagination. In a captivating language, Naguib Mahfouz takes us into his world full of symbolism, with characters who speak the most eloquent wisdom, and places that exude the scent of bygone glory; he presents us with a rich collection of stories filled with tales and meanings. In the story "Before Departure," he tells of "Barakat," who was deceived by the night girl "Dunya" when she returned his money, and he rejoiced in an overwhelming happiness he had never felt before. But just before departure, she takes back the money again, confirming to him that everything has a price, and this is life; it deceives you first, then takes everything from you in the end, so do not trust it. In the story "Midnight Dream," he carries many symbols; "Um Abbas" symbolizes Egypt, her son "Abbas" symbolizes the people, and her husbands symbolize the rulers who succeed each other, subjecting her to various kinds of torment, but they are ultimately killed. And there are other stories full of symbolism.